Caleta Tortel, Coastal village in Patagonia, Chile.

Caleta Tortel is a village of stilt houses built along the Baker Channel, with no conventional streets. Its buildings are linked by wooden walkways made from Guaitecas cypress, and the surrounding rooftops of weathered shingles and pale corrugated metal cluster on a slope beside the water.

Caleta Tortel was founded in 1955 as a naval watch and signal post, named after French sailor Jean Tortel who supported Chile's independence. The settlement grew after 1966, when the Empresa de Comercio Agrícola established itself to buy cypress poles and sell food. The commune was created on 27 August 1970, and a municipal government with a mayor followed in 1981. The population rose from 227 in 1970 to 292 in 1982 and about 370 by 1997.

The village is named after Jean Tortel, a French sailor who supported Chile during its war of independence. The Guaitecas cypress boardwalks serve as the village's shared space, and residents use them daily to move between stilt houses and the waterfront.

Bring Chilean pesos since the village has limited banking services and most shops do not accept credit cards. The wooden pathways can be wet and slippery, so wear appropriate footwear and watch your step when moving around the settlement.

Caleta Tortel was founded in 1955 as a naval watch and signal post, and its name honours the French sailor Jean Tortel, who supported Chile during the independence war. The settlement only consolidated after 1966, when the Empresa de Comercio Agrícola set up there to buy cypress poles and sell food.